The New England Patriots weren’t able to successfully finish their attempt at a perfect season, but they’ll benefit if anyone else does.
The Patriots fell one game short of perfection during the 2007 season when they lost Super Bowl XLII to the New York Giants to finish 18-1. But that didn’t stop them from going through with two trademarks related to game nine years later.
The Kraft Group, founded by Patriots owner Robert Kraft, trademarked the phrases “Perfect Season” and “19-0” in December, ESPN’s Darren Rovell reported Wednesday night. The team had sought trademarks for those two phrases and “Road To Perfection” before the 2007 AFC Championship Game against the San Diego Chargers, but the Patriots didn’t go through with it after the loss.
Kraft wound up trademarking “Road To Perfection” in 2012 and filed extensions to give the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office the documentation for the other two phrases over the next eight years. And The Kraft Group found a pretty creative way to make them their own.
The Patriots licensed “Perfect Season” to the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, using Xaverian Brothers High School’s 2015 state football championship win and undefeated season as a way to prove they deserved to trademark the phrase. That game between the Hawks and Central Catholic High School took place at Gillette Stadium, and Hall of Famer and former Patriot Andre Tippett’s son Cody played for Xaverian.
So, while the Patriots never did get their perfect season, another team who does might have to pay the price.
Thumbnail photo via Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports Images
